


Eleven Letters

by WhiteClifford



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-30
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-12-06 22:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteClifford/pseuds/WhiteClifford
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis breaks up with Eleanor... finally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eleven Letters

**Author's Note:**

> ugh this is terrible seriously what are you doing here go away it is that horrible but no stay and love me.
> 
> Tumblr: stripedandbowtied

Harry knew better than to drink. Really, he did. After the last time he’d woken up in a random bed, with no recollections of what had happened the night before, he’d sort of sworn to himself that he wouldn’t get drunk any more.

But just one wouldn’t do much, right? He thought to himself. It was just to take the edge off of the hurt he felt whenever Eleanor was mentioned. It was enough knowing that the guy he had a crush on-- who he really shouldn’t have a crush on, not because they were both guys, Harry was actually pretty comfortable with his sexuality, but because Louis was his best friend, bandmate, and, maybe most importantly, taken. But listening to Louis as he talked about what the couple was going to do the next day? Yeah, that still hurt. Hurt more than enough for him to just nod when the bartender asked if he wanted the usual.

~~~

Harry woke up the next morning with one of the worst hangovers he’d ever had. He buried his face deeper into his pillow, as if that would block out the headache. Eyes squeezed shut, he tried desperately to get back to sleep, but he already knew his efforts were futile. After a few minutes, he decided to focus on something else-- like, say, how he’d gotten so drunk. All he could remember was the decision to have one drink. He groaned and rolled over, incredibly grateful for that day he’d decided to buy blackout curtains. The movement really wasn’t good for his stomach, and he curled up a little, trying not to throw up before he could muster up the energy to get out of bed.

Carefully, he got up, heading to the bathroom adjacent to his room. On the counter, on top of a sticky note, was a paracetamol tablet, which Harry swallowed. The note was from Louis, the handwriting much to cheery for this kind of morning, Harry thought.

Meeting up with El early, enjoy your morning! x

Harry rolled his eyes at the last part, trying to ignore the first part, and then closed them, hands on the counter as if it was all that was keeping him upright. It might have been, he still couldn’t remember how much he’d had to drink the night before.

To his surprise, his stomach had calmed down a little, so he stumbled into the living room, passing the entryway where he saw his phone on the floor by the wall. He picked it up, shoving it into the pocket of his jeans, which he still hadn’t taken off from the night before. He slowly made his way to the couch, and, too tired and achy to do anything else, just laid down and curled up there. After a few minutes, he could feel himself drifting off, and he gratefully fell asleep.

~~~

Harry woke up to the sound of the front door opening. He looked up sleepily, glad that his headache wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. “Hey Lou,” he said, a little confused. Louis was supposed to be out all day, but who else would it be? 

“Hi,” Louis said quietly, stopping in the doorway to the living room and leaning against the door frame.

Harry sat up a little more so he could see his best friend’s face. “Everything alright?” he asked, concerned, when he saw his best friend’s eyes, rimmed in red.

“Yeah,” Louis said, but Harry didn’t believe him.

“C’mere,” Harry held out his arms for Louis, and Louis walked into the room and crawled into Harry’s arms, wrapping his arms around the younger boy’s waist and burying his face into Harry’s chest. “What happened?” Harry asked after a moment, his hand stroking Louis’s back gently. 

“We broke up,” the words were muffled in Harry’s chest, but Harry could heard it nonetheless. He tried his best not to react in any way to the news, because, really, he kind of wanted to celebrate, and as far as timing goes, when his best friend was trying not to cry into his chest? Not exactly the best time.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, holding each other in a position that would have been uncomfortable for anyone else. But to Harry, all that mattered was Louis, and Louis wasn’t really in a state to complain.

“Can... can I ask why?” Harry finally asked. 

Louis let out a breath. “It- it was mutual. She... I’m... I’m in love with someone else, and she, well, she noticed. A while ago. She’s... she’s been cheating on me, Haz. I know, I know I don’t have the right to be hurt, it’s my fault, isn’t it? But it still, still really hurts,” he murmured, voice cracking.

“Oh,” was all Harry could think of saying, and so then he fell silent, trying to process it. Louis was in love with someone. Someone else. 

“Yeah,” Louis said after another moment. “I’m going to make some tea.”

“Who?” Harry asked, and Louis turned around to look at him, dead in the eye. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me, it’s not like it’s any of my business, really, seeing as we’re ju-” he rambled.

“You,” Louis breathed, and Harry shut up.

“I- me?” Harry said, too stunned to form any other reaction.

“Yeah,” Louis said, disappearing into the kitchen.

It probably would have been quite comical to watch Harry scramble after Louis, trying to collect his thoughts and not fall at the same time, but Louis was already in the kitchen, boiling water and not allowing tears to fall. Even though he hadn’t necessarily been in love with Eleanor at the end, it still hurt, a lot. They’d been together a long time, and even if Louis hadn’t been in love with her, he’d still loved her.

“Lou, I-” Harry tried to say, reaching out and catching Louis’s arm.

“No, you don’t have to say anything. I know, it’s stupid, I just-”

Harry cut him off with a kiss, pulling him forward by the arm so he could smash their lips together. Louis was too stunned to do anything for a minute, but when the initial shock wore away, he responded, kissing Harry back with all he had, and hoping, praying almost, that this wasn’t some joke on Harry’s part, and that he meant it just as much as Louis did. 

Harry was the first to pull away, more for air than anything else, but he didn’t go very far. His arms had ended up wrapped around Louis’s waist, and Louis had his hands tangled in Harry’s hair. 

“I should have done that a long time ago,” Harry said, and Louis made a small sound of agreement. “And I’m sure this goes without saying,” Harry chuckled, “but I’m in love with you too, Lou.”

Louis smiled. “I was hoping,” he murmured, tilting his head up to kiss Harry again.

“So what does this mean?” Harry asked when they finally separated for a second time. “With us, I mean, are we...?” he trailed off, uncertain how to phrase it, and just trusting Louis would understand.

“I don’t know either, Haz,” Louis said uncertainly, pausing. “But I need time, okay? I just broke up with El, and I just... I need some time.”

Harry nodded, pulling Louis into a tight hug. “Take as much time as you need, I’ll be here.

“But for now...” Louis smiled a little. “Cuddles and a Friends marathon?”

“Always, do you want to order a pizza or something?” Harry asked. 

“Maybe later,” Louis murmured, pressing kisses to Harry’s collarbone. 

“No, no, you don’t get to do that until I get to take you out on a date.”

“Who says I won’t take you out?” Louis asked, trying to sound a little offended. “I said I loved you first.”

“Because I have been planning this moment in my mind for the last two years, so you owe me this, at the very least,” Harry pointed out.

Louis considered that for a moment, and then nodded. “As long as we start with season five.”

“Deal,” Harry agreed, grinning. 

~~~

About an hour later, both of them laying on the same couch, touching so much there might as well have been no space between them at all, Harry murmured, “I love you.”

A minute passed, and Harry began to think that Louis hadn’t heard him. “I love you too,” he said after another minute, and Harry couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face at the four simple words.

Eleven letters, and they held all the meaning in the world.


End file.
